The sparks flew once again, as John Steenhuisen and President Ramaphosa failed to see eye-to-eye in Parliament. Things got heated on Thursday.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA  FEBRUARY 15: Democratic Alliance (DA) chief whip; John Steenhuisen speaks during the second day of the 2017 State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate at the National Assembly. - Photo: Gallo Images / Beeld / Lulama Zenzile

We knew we were on course for a tasty showdown in Parliament on Thursday. But before anyone could even mention CR17 or Bosasa, a duel over Parliamentary procedure rocked the house. John Steenhuisen locked horns with Cyril Ramaphosa over government workers’ pensions, and the confrontation required swift intervention from Speaker Modise.

John Steenhuisen vs Cyril Ramaphosa

Those hoping for a serene start to proceedings were left bitterly disappointed. As Mmusi Maimane lead the DA’s charge against the president, the Blues were left wholly unsatisfied with the response they received. In their book, it was short and uninformative. And it boiled Steenhuisen’s piss…

WATCH as President Ramaphosa fails to answer a simple yes or no question.

Rising on a point of order – and even clashing with the speaker – the DA Chief whip lambasted Cyril Ramaphosa for being evasive on the question of “prescribed assets”. He wanted to know if the ANC were planning to use state employee pensions to plug gaps in the economy.

The presidential loan shark?

Ramaphosa, to his credit, came back to the question eventually. But his initial answer was likened to “that of a loan shark” by John Steenhuisen.

“That was the response of a loan shark. All you have done is meandos. You have not answered the question, and this is how Zuma was created! Can you tell us, are the ANC planning to use prescribed assets”

John Steenhuisen

Cyril Ramaphosa and Jacob Zuma: Two peas in a pod?

We think the kids call that a burn: Jacob Zuma famously avoided questions in Parliament like the plague, and Steenhuisen was very wary of history repeating itself. JZ also once claimed that he will “meandos” though the issues thrown at him – a phrase that came to characterise the last year of his chaotic presidency.

Ramaphosa says Maimane sounds like a broken record.

The DA not satisfied with Ramaphosa's response.

DA whip John Steenhuisen says it's the kind of response one would expect from a loan shark. #RamaphosaQandA

Cyril Ramaphosa eventually clarified that the prescribed assets were indeed being considered for PIC investment, but claimed that – historically speaking – pension investments made towards the infrastructure industry had been successful. However, this is not a gamble the DA have any faith in.